Take a look at the page thumbnails to get an idea of what’s in the review.  The review is a 90-megabyte download. See also the reader comments.

Most photographers shooting raw do so for maximum quality, so a key question is whether any of the 3rd-party raw-file conversion programs offer superior detail while minimizing digital artifacts.

Three Nikon D2X raw (NEF) files, and three Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II raw (CR2) files are used to compare the following raw converters:

• the $100 Nikon Capture (NEF only);
• the free Digital Photo Professional (CR2 only);
• the Euro 499 Phase One Capture One PRO;
• the “free” Adobe Camera Raw (included with Adobe Photoshop CS2);
• the $99 Pixmantec Raw Shooter Premium;
• the $69 Iridient Raw Developer;
• the $299 DXO Optics Pro Elite;
• the $129 Bibble Labs Bibble Pro;
• the $499 Apple Aperture (v1.0.1);
• the free Mac OS Preview.

I’ve used Nikon Capture since version 1.0 (starting with Nikon D1 files), and am quite familiar with its operation.  I’ve also used Digital Photo Professional since version 1.0, and is am also very familiar with its operation.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Apple’s Aperture is due for an upgrade (version 1.1) in March 2006.  Its image quality (version 1.01) as seen in this review clearly needs improvement, though as a new entrant into the field it deserves a chance to prove itself.  For that reason, final conclusions on Aperture should be deferred until version 1.1 is released.

There are many aspects to a raw-file processing program, including sharpness, digital artifacts, color rendition, aberration correction, batch-processing, speed of operation, platform support, supported cameras, etc.  This review considers only sharpness and digital artifacts.  It is not a full-blown review of all the features in these raw converters; that would take many weeks to write, and be 10 times the size (or more).

As with politics, concluding that a candidate is good or bad based on a single factor may be not be the wisest choice.  In the case of raw-file converters, there almost always exist raw files for which one converter produces more pleasing results than another, whether it be resolved detail, color, or just “look”.   It is not the intent of this review to conclude that one of these raw converters is best for all images, or for all photographers, each of whom has varying needs.

This review is a good introduction to diglloyd reviews.  The larger reviews, D2X vs EOS, The Sharpest Image, and 28mm Shift Lenses use a similar style.